By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 11: In the wake of rising Omicron threat, a new variant of the coronavirus, the daily infection rate has been mounting daily for the last few days across the nation.
The daily infection rate of COVID-19 reached 15 per cent on Monday. It was 9.5 per cent on Sunday and 7.1 per cent on Saturday, up from 2.6 per cent last week.

The health experts have said that with the increase in infection rate, the hospitalisation rate will also increase, overwhelming the health facilities.
Although the Omicron variant is said to be less severe than the Delta variant, health experts have warned that high rate of infection may overwhelm the health institutions. 

“As the new variant spreads rapidly, more and more people are getting infected. This is going to put a huge pressure on health care providers,” said Dr. Manisha Rawal, director at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital.
“In the coming weeks, we are going to see a spike in the cases and we have to be prepared for that,” said Dr. Rawal.

The hospitalisation rate will also increase with the increase in the number of cases, said Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Basnet, chief Administrative Officer at COVID-19 Unified Central Hospital.
This week the hospitalisation has increased in all COVID-19-designated hospitals as compared to the last week, said Dr. Basnet. People need to be more cautious and abide by all the health safety protocols, he added.

Health experts have urged people to get vaccinated and to wear masks in public to avoid catching and spreading the coronavirus.
“Despite being jabbed, the new variant can cause Covid-19. But all the available vaccines continue to be effective against serious illness and death resulting from the virus,” said Dr. Rawal.
Owing to the risk of virus spread, a meeting of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Coordination Centre (CCMC) held on Sunday recommended schools of all types and grades to give a winter vacation of a minimum 15 days beginning from January 15.

At the same time, the CCMC has recommended the government to ask the general public to mandatorily carry vaccination card or the proof of full dose of the vaccine while visiting the public offices, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, stadiums and parks.

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has repeatedly asked the people to seize on the opportunity of getting inoculated against the virus. It has also asked them to comply with all the health safety protocols to keep the virus in check, thereby keeping both oneself and others safe.

“There are enough vaccines available now; one should reach the nearest vaccination centre and receive the jab,” said Dr. Sangita Kaushal Mishra, spokesperson for the MoHP.